Process and apparatus for a combined casting and rolling installation

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for producing hot-rolled products in a combined casting-rolling installation. A method and a combined casting-rolling installation with which an uninterrupted continuous casting process can be maintained not only when there is a planned interruption to production but also when there is an unplanned interruption to production, occurring for example in a heating zone, a finishing mill train, a cooling zone or a storage device. These method steps are carried out to bridge an interruption in production in the part of the installation that is downstream of the cutting-up and delivering device ( 6 ): a) cutting off a strand portion ( 21 ) of the continuously produced preliminary material ( 3 ) by means of a first shears ( 9 ); b) raising the tail part of the strand portion ( 21 ) from the roller table ( 4 ) by means of a raising device ( 11 ); c) breaking up the preliminary material ( 3 ) passing the first shears ( 9 ) into pieces of scrap ( 19 ) by means of the first shears ( 9 ) into pieces of scrap ( 19 ) by means of the first shears ( 9 ), delivering the pieces of scrap ( 19 ) and removing the strand portion ( 21 ) unit the operational readiness of the combined casting-rolling installation is restored.

1. A process for producing hot-rolled products in a combined casting and rolling installation comprising:
 passing a billet of a continuously cast precursor material over a roller table and then after the billet has fully solidified through a cutting-up and discharging device at a transportation speed in uncut form, then rolling the billet in a finishing rolling mill train, then cooling the billet, cutting up the billet and storing the billet, 
 upon an interruption of the producing in a part of the installation downstream in the passing from the cutting-up and discharging device, bridging by the following process steps: 
 a) cutting off a billet portion of the continuously produced precursor material; 
 b) raising a tail part of the cut off billet portion from the roller table; 
 c) passing the precursor material past a first shears and there breaking up the material into pieces of scrap by the first shears, discharging the pieces of scrap and removing the billet portion until operational readiness of the combined casting and rolling installation is restored. 
 
     
     
       2. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cutting off of the billet portion of the continuously produced precursor material by the first shears is at the same time as or immediately after continuous production is interrupted. 
     
     
       3. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the raising of the tail part of the billet portion by the raising apparatus is immediately after the billet portion is cut off. 
     
     
       4. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: discharging the pieces of scrap onto a lowerable roller table and removing the pieces until the operational readiness of the combined casting and rolling installation is restored. 
     
     
       5. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: cutting up the precursor material into precursor product portions by second shears, which are situated upstream from the first shears, at the same time as or after the billet portion is cut off, and discharging the cut up precursor product portions by a discharging apparatus situated between the second shears and the first shears. 
     
     
       6. The process as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising: the discharging of the precursor product portions by the discharging apparatus comprises raising the portions from a roller table, transporting the portions to a stacking apparatus and lowering the portions. 
     
     
       7. The process as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein before the precursor product portions are discharged by the discharging apparatus, accelerating the portions on the roller table by motor-driven rollers or driving rollers of the table. 
     
     
       8. The process as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising: introducing a start-up billet into the continuous casting installation during a start-up of the combined casting and rolling installation, moving the start-up billet concomitantly with the integrally cast billet of precursor material, severing a head of the start-up billet together with a part of the continuously cast precursor material by one of the first and second shears and removing the severed head and the part of the precursor material in a region of the discharging apparatus. 
     
     
       9. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising after the continuously cast precursor material has fully solidified, rough rolling the continuously cast precursor material in a single-stand or multi-stand rough-rolling mill train without heating in addition to casting heat from the continuous casting process. 
     
     
       10. The process as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising: producing a wedge piece on the continuously cast precursor material during start-up of a rough-rolling mill train, severing or breaking up the wedge into pieces by the second shears and removing the pieces in the region of the discharging apparatus. 
     
     
       11. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: reducing a transportation speed of the passing of the continuously cast precursor material at the same time as or immediately after production of the material is interrupted or the billet portion is cut off with the first shears. 
     
     
       12. The process as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising: reducing the transportation speed of the precursor material by opening up of one or more stands of a rough-rolling mill train passed by the material. 
     
     
       13. The process as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising: reducing the transportation speed of the precursor material by reducing the casting speed of a continuously operating continuous casting installation. 
     
     
       14. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: setting the temperature of the uncut precursor material to a rolling temperature by a heating section before rolling the material in the finishing rolling mill train. 
     
     
       15. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the billet portion of the continuously produced precursor material is cut off by first shears and
 the tail part of the billet portion is raised by a raising apparatus.